11.30-12.45 pm Session 2: India-Myanmar Relations

Concept Note

Myanmar is undergoing a critical phase of transition, wherein important political, economic and social changes have taken place and will continue to occur. This has drawn in not only the domestic stakeholders but also the external players. Will the current reforms meet the expectations of its own people and the regional and global actors? After the initial euphoria about Myanmar, will the momentum be sustained? Without doubt, the changes expected of Myanmar would not happen overnight. To be durable and sustainable, the reform has to be indigenous and not imposed from outside. Domestic, and regional/international imperatives will impel Myanmar to draw a clearer picture of its future. Will the change come before Myanmar takes over as the ASEAN Chair in 2014, or when elections are held in 2015, or would it extend extend beyond 2015, to perhaps, 2020? How long drawn out this process turns out to be, would hinge on players both domestic and external.

India has stakes in the future of Myanmar and seeks to be a partner in the progress and prosperity of Myanmar. Myanmar occupies a geo-strategic position in India’s neighbourhood and forms an important element in its ‘Look East’ policy. It is important for its security, for its energy security, and for its developmental priorities, including in its Northeast. India is conscious that the challenges that Myanmar faces could have spillover effects on its security. Perhaps the biggest challenge that Myanmar faces is the challenge of ethnic reconciliation. The reverberations of the Rohingya crisis were felt outside Myanmar and India was no exception. India was impacted when in July terrorists targeted the sacred Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya with a series of bomb blasts. Some differences on the border are being ironed out as well. While challenges persist in Myanmar, there are opportunities to be harnessed both in the field of security and development. India’s own experience with democracy could be a guide to the reform process in Myanmar.